Fake celebrity interviews on Facebook are conning individuals into investing in Bitcoin ponzi schemes. A Kyiv, Ukraine-based operation targeted people in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand with with fake news pretending to come from U.K. publication, The Daily Mirror.

The latest scam operation had about 200 employees, with a former employee blowing the whistle on the $70 million operation. Individuals would read stories about famous celebrities like British TV presenter Rylan Clark-Neal and then phone a call center where they were promised a huge return on their investment. Clark-Neal warned his social media followers that he didn't make millions from Bitcoin and didn't give an interview saying that he did. Other celebrities were used as endorsers without their permission, including comedian Jim Davidson, chef Gordan Ramsey and French soccer star Kylian Mbappé. The celebrities have nothing whatsoever to do with the scams, however, their reputations are suffering.

Individuals have lost up to £200,000 believing their favorite celebrity endorses an bitcoin investment scheme. The fake interviews are also found on Yahoo and MSN and mirror famous new sites like The Daily Mirror or the BBC.

Variations of the same scam have been going on for tears. Sometimes people are asked to submit a contact form, and then they receive a call from an investment manager. An investment manager calls and offers you a chance to buy in for a modest sum. The victim receives a link to a website where they can watch their investment grow. Everything appears legitimate, and the low initial investment makes helps reassure reluctant investors. People are encouraged to invest more, especially after receiving a small sum as a way of enjoying their profits. Individuals often never realize they are being conned until they go to cash out and never receive their money.

Scammers are also using other cryptocurrencies in their scams, but BTC is by far the most popular.